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Re-discovering the past at Chedworth Roman Villa

Archaeologists are returning to Chedworth Roman Villa for three weeks this summer to continue their investigations into the mosaics buried beneath the site.

From Monday 9 July, the team of National Trust archaeologists, led by Martin Papworth and Nancy Grace, will be digging in the northern wing of the villa, including a section that was last uncovered in Victorian times.

This excavation forms part of a wider project at Chedworth Roman Villa to record and preserve the mosaics, both above and below ground.

Mark Chamberlain, Operations Manager, said ‘The aim is to develop a virtual display of the mosaics, linked to the finds on site, allowing visitors to experience what it would have been like to have lived here in Roman times.’

The archaeologists will uncover the buried mosaics in the North Range corridor and the grand reception hall of the villa. They will be carefully cleaned so they can be scanned and digitally recorded to provide an exact conservation record and enable future monitoring.

Martin Papworth, National Trust archaeologist, said ‘this dig will give us the chance to fully reveal an area of mosaic 30m long and 6m wide, some of which has not been seen since the 1860s.’

Martin and Nancy will be supported by a number of experienced volunteers and students helping to dig, and an elevated platform will allow a clear view of the excavations. Visitors to the National Trust site will be able to get up close and personal in the finds area, and there will be opportunities to get hands-on with real archaeology, actively helping to clean the finds.